Thirty-seven years ago, at the age of twenty-three I was a vile lost
sinner on the pathway of destruction. I rode a motorcycle, had a pony-tail, drank, used
drugs,(grass) and daily cursed and sought hedonistic pleasures. A
friend,(soon to become elder brother), invited me to a revival. For
him I went, and the glorious Lord Jesus Christ washed over me,
dropped the scales from my eyes, broke the chains upon my heart,
and set this captive free. Praise You O'Lord that no matter how
low-down we are, You can reach down with Your glorious light, and
pierce through the darkness of the vileist iniquity.

It's been a long pathway to glory, and yet it seems like only
yesterday, that my dear elder Brother Ernie was giving a Bible to his
newest Brother Drew.

Each day I seek to walk closer to my Lord Jesus Christ, but every
day I fall short of the mark. Every day I pray for forgiveness, and
every day He is so righteous and just to forgive me. I just pray daily
that I can yield my flesh, my will, my prideful ego, to His grace, His
glory, His leadership, and I praise God that my Lord can even use
"cracked-pots", such as myself, for the glory of the Kingdom of God.

My name is Drew and I am out in the Flinthills of Kansas, and have been caretaking at a residential Lake and Park for 26 years now. I was 61 years old, September 12, stand 6'3'' and weigh 215-235 lbs,(less in the summer doing groundkseeping).. I am groundskeeper, security, volunteer fire fighter for 25 years, reserve sheriff's officer, wildlife manager, and the first emergency response for 20 minutes.

Have assisted on four heart-attacks,(one fatal, 3 successfully transported and recovered), car and boating accidents, curbing unlawful activity, boating safety, and both structure and wildfire control and suppression. We have 2 fire-trucks stationed here at the house, and 5 more trucks in a small town 5 miles away.

Jan, my precious one and I met in senior English, in high school, and were married a year after graduation. We had been married 40 years when Jan passed from cancer in November 2012, and we have three children and six grandchildren. To hear the patter of running little feet and the joy-filled cries of, "Pawpa" is God's greatest blessing in my life.

There is just a big ol' gray-haired country-boy, using two fingers to type, on this end of the internet. It was 28 years ago, (April 10, 1977), that I gave my heart to my Lord Jesus, and I just seek to serve Him, in whatever capacity He might choose for me. Just a simple old blood- bought, born again, Lake Baptized, crusty 'OL codger, that honors the Word of God, and scans a few BBs in the evenings, and early mornings, and figures that whatever we do unto the least of these we do unto our Lord Jesus.

The lake position was a direct answer to prayer. After almost 12 years in a meat-packing plant, I spent 4 years grounds-keeping, and shopping center/condominium maintenance. I was praying for a position which would provide room for my family,(we were in a 3-bedroom mobile home), and allow me to provide a higher standard of living for my family, as well as to serve others.

I did not take the local paper, but I got off early, and stopped-in at the bowling alley, where Jan was working part-time. Someone had left the paper on the counter, so I scanned the paper over a cup of coffee. I saw an advertisement for the position of caretaker. I went home and typed a resume and cover letter, and mailed it in. I found out later that it was a one-day ad, only in that particular paper.

There were 150 applicants, and they chose 20 of us by our resumes. I had a sense of peace about me, during the initial interview with 4 Lake Board members, and 5 of the 20 were called back for the second interview, with our wives, where we were interviewed by a 9 member panel, of cabin-owners who also happened to be bankers, lawyers, and business professionals. All through the process I had a sense of peace, which caused the interviews to flow.

I was chosen as the new caretaker, and began work March 10, 1988. We moved from a 3-bedroom mobile home into a two-story, 5-bedroom farmhouse at the lake, with rent, and all utilities provided. In the last 26 years I have graduated from Butler County Community College, Liberty Home Bible Institute, taken external classes through Liberty, completed an 80 Hour Part-time Officers Class through the local SO and the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, certified as a Level 2 Wastewater Operator, tested and received a certification as a Licensed Class B Fireworks Operator, a state pesticide license, and have a couple hundred hours training as a fire captain with the Dunlap Dist. 9 volunteers. I also have my ordination, and have officiated 14 weddings, ministered a number of times for funerals/memorial services and filled-in for the Methodist pastor at Wilsey.

(It was right at Christmas when the pastor had to have emergency surgery, so I filled-in. I had to conduct a candlelight service, and I had not even been to one for 20 years..

But all went well, and it was interesting because I went early for the service, turned the lights on, and waited for the congregation to arrive from caroling. A husband, wife, and young boys came in and asked if they could look around, because he was from there originally. They sat down on a front pew, and in a bit they asked if I could lead them in the Lord's prayer. I said sure, so I led them in the Lord's prayer. They could not stay for the service, had been having a few problems at home, (the husband had liquor on his breath), and had decided to visit home while driving around. I asked if I could pray for them before they left, so I prayed with them and they left with tears in the husbands eyes and warm handshakes. I never did find out who they were, and muddled through the candle-light service.(I have never been much on ritual, and the Methodist are big on it.. )

The job is a tremendous blessing when I am in a position to help an elderly couple change a flat tire on a 90+ degree day. The job is a blessing when I roll the truck and stand between a mobile home and a 10’ wall of brushfire sweeping-in from the SW at 25 mph. Basicly to live is Christ, and to die is gain for to be absent from the body is to be in the glorious presence of my Lord, so whether I be a mowing, skimming Blue-green Algae off the top of our wastewater pond, taking a high-powered boatload of drunken 20-year-olds off the lake, or picking-up broken bodies from a dune-buggy rollover at 2:00AM, it makes me no difference, for whatever it takes to serve my Lord, provide for my family, and to get the job done. I will sanitize the human waste off the privie seats, and I will dispatch trucks, manpower, put-on my airpack and attack that structure fire. It is all the same to me. It serves my Lord until He calls me elsewhere.

__________________
A Servant of Christ,
Drew

Create in me a clean heart,
O God; and renew a right
spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Nemo surdior est quam is qui non audiet - No man is more deaf than he who will not hear

Jesus is bigger than all this problems, hurts and hassled. I am so thankful.

__________________1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ... Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Matthew 25:40 & 45

The church I wet to when I was in grade school did not talk much about Jesus but they did read Wesley's Journals. In one passage he wrote that because of what God did for him (and everyone) in sending Jesus and Jesus sacrifice the only response he could make was to give himself fully to God. It touched my heart and I knew I had to and wanted to do that too. There was no procedure no alter call just my heart and God's love. From then on I knew I belonged to Him. He helped me, protected me, answered prayers, helped me love His word yet when I was in my late teens and early 20s I made choices that I knew were not the ones he wanted and did things that grieved His heart. It was sort of case of knowing I was His and yet giving Him no rights of ownership. By His grace the people and the life I had chosen threw away. It hurt. But I think it was necessary because I was walking further from God. He helped ne become hungry for Jesus again and met that hunger as inly he can the year that I was 25.

__________________1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ... Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Matthew 25:40 & 45

The church I wet to when I was in grade school did not talk much about Jesus but they did read Wesley's Journals. In one passage he wrote that because of what God did for him (and everyone) in sending Jesus and Jesus sacrifice the only response he could make was to give himself fully to God. It touched my heart and I knew I had to and wanted to do that too. There was no procedure no alter call just my heart and God's love. From then on I knew I belonged to Him. He helped me, protected me, answered prayers, helped me love His word yet when I was in my late teens and early 20s I made choices that I knew were not the ones he wanted and did things that grieved His heart. It was sort of case of knowing I was His and yet giving Him no rights of ownership. By His grace the people and the life I had chosen threw me way. It hurt. But I think it was necessary because I was walking further from God. He helped ne become hungry for Jesus again and met that hunger as only he can the year that I was 25.

__________________1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ... Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. Matthew 25:40 & 45